No Time for Intrigue
No Brides Club, Book 13
Raine English
© 2020, Raine English
All rights reserved. Except as permitted under the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976, no part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed or transmitted in any form or by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval system without the prior written permission of the publisher.
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This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, organizations, places, events, and incidents are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.
No part of this work may be reproduced, or stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without written permission of the publisher.
Sweet Promise Press
PO Box 72
Brighton, MI 48116
Created with Vellum
To fans of second-chance romance.
It’s never too late to fall in love.
Contents
Publisher’s Note
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Epilogue
What’s Next?
You May Also Like
More from Sweet Promise Press
More from Raine English
Acknowledgments
About the Author
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1
“Is that phone ever going to stop ringing,” Elizabeth Sullivan moaned before picking up the receiver and cooing in the sweetest voice she could muster, “Good afternoon, Happily Ever After, where fairy-tale weddings are guaranteed.”
“Lizzy, this is Scarlett. I hate to bother you again, but you know what a control freak I am, and it’s not that I don’t think you’ll do a fabulous job on my wedding, but I hate being on the other side of the pond when my big day is just over a week away.”
Elizabeth sucked in a deep breath and counted to ten before exhaling. As one of the top wedding planners in New York City, you’d think her client would relax and let her do her job. “Everything’s fine, just like it was when I spoke to you yesterday.”
“I hate to be a pest, but it’s sooo important that everything is perfect.”
“And it will be, so please, don’t worry.” Lizzy was used to problem clients, but Scarlett was at the top of the list. The well-known model was used to getting her way and known for her temper tantrums when she didn’t. Lizzy had been tempted to turn down the contract, but her business partner and twin sister Emilia had made it quite clear that wasn’t an option. Happily Ever After had been recommended to Scarlett by Kinsley King, one of the city’s top real estate brokers. She knew everyone who was someone and was able to make or break careers. Luckily, Kinsley was a good friend, and she’d been over-the-moon with the job they’d done with her wedding last spring. They owed much of their success to her.
“Your reassurance is wonderful, but it doesn’t help my OCD,” Scarlett whined. “Having someone there who knows me well would, so I’m flying a close friend to New York. He’ll be there in the morning, say tenish.”
What? The last thing she needed was someone looking over her shoulder. Lizzy struggled to maintain an even, conciliatory tone. “If that’ll make you feel better, that’s fine.”
“You’re a doll. His name is Dale White, and he’s a sweetie. You’ll love him.”
“Don’t be so sure of that,” Lizzy mumbled as she hung up the phone.
“What aren’t you sure of?” Emilia asked while strolling into the office.
“That was Scarlett Harte again.”
“Didn’t you just talk to her yesterday?”
“Yep, and the day before that, and the day before that as well.”
“What did she want this time?” Emilia flopped down in the chair across from her.
Lizzy scrunched up her nose in distaste. “She’s sending some guy to keep an eye on things.”
“You’ve got to be kidding. Now that’s a first; we’re hired to do a wedding, but our client’s not convinced we’ll do a good job. Why not go with someone else then?” Emilia sounded thoroughly annoyed. “If Scarlett weren’t friends with Kinsley, I’d tell her that myself.”
“The woman’s got issues. I’m sure she’s like that with everyone she hires.”
“Well, I’m glad this is your baby. I don’t know if I’d have the patience to deal with her.” Emilia pushed a strand of her long auburn hair out of her eyes as she checked her phone for messages. “Sorry, I’ve gotta run. Chase wants to meet for lunch, and then I’m headed to The Dock to make sure everything’s set for the Tish wedding on Saturday.”
“And I have a date with the No Brides Club after work. Will you be back in time to feed Newt?” The forty-five-pound boxer mix would tear up their apartment if he didn’t have his dinner on time.
“I’ll be sure to be. It’s like his stomach has a built-in timer. The last time that dog didn’t get his food by six, he went on a rampage and ripped open my favorite throw pillow. Remember how we were finding stuffing for weeks?”
“Yep, good old Newt. He’s as demanding as everyone else in our lives,” Lizzy remarked with a laugh.
“See you later. Have a good one!”
As Lizzy watched her sister stroll out of the office, she felt a twinge of jealousy. Emilia and Chase had an excellent, loving relationship, something she hadn’t ever been lucky enough to have. She’d come close with Ron, but he’d turned out to be just another rotten apple. Same as all the other guys she’d dated. Always one to know when enough was enough, once things ended with that cheating musician, Lizzy joined the No Brides Club, a group of single women who’d sworn off men and were now focused only on their careers.
“Life’s easier, and there’s far less heartache without a guy,” she mumbled to herself as she glanced at her calendar. She had the entire afternoon scheduled, leaving no time for mishaps. As a wedding planner, she was used to problems—they came with the territory, but the day brought more than usual. The wrong flowers had been ordered for the Tish wedding, a
nd one of their best caterers had to cancel on three events because he was in the midst of a very contentious divorce and didn’t know if his business would survive it. The list went on and on. Maybe there was something in the air, giving Scarlett a reason to be nervous. However, Lizzy was still irked that she was sending someone to keep an eye on things. It was going to take all of her willpower to be pleasant tomorrow when whatever his name arrived.
When it was time to head over to the Briarwood Tavern for dinner and drinks with her friends, she decided to walk instead of taking a cab. It was a beautiful June evening, and the trek through the lovely Tribeca neighborhood shifted her thoughts away from work and onto the elegant buildings lining the cobblestone street so that by the time that she arrived at the tavern, she was in a much better mood.
The Briarwood catered to a Wall Street crowd and was packed, as usual. She maneuvered through the crowded bar to their table in the dining room. Lizzy slid onto one of the tufted leather banquettes and sat beside Molly, a stunning blonde, who was a popular Broadway actress.
“How was your day?” her friend asked.
“Crazy like always,” Lizzy replied with a yawn.
“I hear you. My show opens in three weeks, and we’re nowhere near ready.”
“Isn’t that always the case? It is for weddings. We think we’re never going to get everything done, but then somehow it all comes together, and the bride and groom have a fabulous day that they’ll remember forever. Meanwhile, I’ve acquired another fifty gray hairs.”
Molly chuckled. “What mirror are you lookin’ in? You don’t have even one.”
“Well, I feel like I have a head full.”
“Girl, you need to slow down.”
“Tell that to Emilia. She books three events to my one and then hands the bulk of them over to me. She doesn’t put in the overtime that she used to, now that she and Chase are an item.”
“They do make a cute couple.”
“I wouldn’t be surprised if she didn’t get a ring for Christmas.”
“Wow! Things are moving quickly.”
“Yes, they are, and I hope she doesn’t wind up regretting it.” Lizzy’s history with losers had soured her to the point that she didn’t believe anyone could have everlasting happiness with a man.
Luckily, the waiter came by to take their drink order, and the conversation shifted to a different subject. Bea, a cute brunette who worked in the fashion industry, had just gotten back from Britain, and she had lots to talk about.
“Scarlett Harte is over there now. She’s doing a major shoot somewhere around Kent,” Lizzy said.
“Her brother has a large estate there. Maximillian Harte is one of the wealthiest men in the UK.”
Lizzy looked up from her menu. She’d been having a hard time deciding between the salmon and a fattening pasta dish. Common sense said to go with the fish, but the bowl of carbs was calling to her. “I don’t know anything about her family. All I know is she’s a pain in the butt, and I’ll be so happy when her wedding is behind me.”
The group laughed, and then Bea added, “Maxi’s a recluse and hasn’t been seen in public for years.”
“Well, he’s giving his sister away. Hopefully, he won’t arrive too early and cause a media feeding frenzy.”
“I’d be surprised if he showed at all,” the brunette replied.
“He’s that afraid to go out in public that he’d blow off Scarlett’s wedding?” Molly asked.
Bea pursed her lips. “Rumor has it that his wife threw herself off the cliffs behind their house, and he blamed himself for her death. His penance is to live out the rest of his life in solitude.”
Lizzy set the menu down in front of her. “That’s quite a story.”
“I don’t know how much of it is true, other than his wife did die tragically, and it was after that that he vanished from the public eye.”
“How long ago did it happen?” Lizzy asked.
Bea thought for a moment before answering. “Must’ve been about ten years. Maxi’s in his mid-thirties now.”
“He was so young.” She shuddered inwardly, thinking someone could love so intensely that they’d spend the rest of their life grieving. Maybe that explained some of Scarlett’s behavior. Perhaps she wanted everything perfect because she feared she could lose what she cared about most. Whatever the reason, it gave Lizzy a slightly better understanding of the woman she worked for.
When the waiter brought their drinks, the conversation took on a lighter note, and like always, her dinner with the No Brides Club was delightful. However, later as she lay in bed trying to fall asleep, her thoughts drifted back to Maximillian Harte. She was quite curious to meet the man.
2
Maxi stared out the window at the white chalk cliffs hugging the shore of Kingsgate Bay. “I’m not sure I heard you correctly,” he said to his sister, unable to keep the note of irritability out of his tone.
“You heard me perfectly well,” Scarlett replied. “And you have to do this for me. You simply have to.”
When he looked over at her, there were tears in her eyes. She knew exactly how to get to him and used it to her advantage whenever she wanted something. This time, though, she’d asked for too much. “I can’t go to New York.” His voice was so low that it was barely above a whisper.
She stamped her foot on the marble floor like a spoiled child, and she was, in a sense, and he had no one to blame but himself. She was his baby sister and all that was left of his family. There was eight years difference between them, making her just twelve when their parents died in a rail accident, leaving him to raise her himself. She was the most precious thing in his life and knew it.
“Dale’s too sick to go. I wish he would’ve told me that before I let the wedding planner know he was coming.”
He shrugged. “That’s easy. Call her and tell her he’s not. I doubt she’ll mind.”
“That’s not the point at all,” she cried. “I need someone there who can make sure that everything is on schedule and as I’d want it to be. You’re the perfect person to do that.”
“I don’t understand this obsession of yours. You’ve hired a wedding planner and told me they’re one of the best around, so let them do their job.”
“I know you understand why I’m like this, so don’t pretend that you don’t.”
“Your marriage won’t end up like mine,” he insisted with growing impatience.
There was a distinct hardening of her eyes. “No one knows what the future will hold.”
“So, you blaze through life at a hundred miles per hour.”
“Maxi, I don’t want to argue with you.” She ran her hand over his arm. “Just do this for me, so I’m sure to have the wedding I’ve always dreamed of.”
“Do you know the commotion it will cause if the media finds out that I’m there?” He ripped out the words.
“You promised to be at the ceremony, so what difference does it make if you get there early?” Her lower lip trembled as she returned his glare.
Scarlett wasn’t that dense. She was just trying to manipulate him. “It makes a huge difference. Spending the day in a ballroom filled with people isn’t the same as running around New York City for a week with some wedding planner. Word will get out, and you know it.”
“Then don’t go as you.” An expression of satisfaction showed in her eyes.
He gave her a sidelong glance of utter disbelief. “Who would I go as?”
A smug smile curved her mouth. “You can go as Dale.”
“You’ve got to be kidding.”
“Why? No one there knows him, and since neither of you are on social media, so there’s no way you’d be found out. It’s the perfect solution.”
“You should’ve taken me up on my offer to get married here.” He heard her quick intake of breath.
“I want the beginning of my life with Roger to be full of happy memories, not…” Her words trailed off, but there was no doubt what she was going to say. Harte Manor was fu
ll of anything but happy memories. “So will you do it? Please.”
She showed no signs of relenting, and Maxi was already tired of the conversation. If he didn’t agree with what she wanted, it was going to be a very long night. “What exactly do you want me to do?”
A cry of relief broke from her lips. “Thank you, Maxi! You’re the best brother a girl could have.”
“Yeah, well, don’t tell anyone that. You’ll ruin my image.”
“You’ve already done a good job of that yourself. How long are you going to stay locked away from the world?”
He crossed his arms over his chest. “Not much longer, seeing as you’ve convinced me to go to New York.”
“But not as you, as someone else. You need your life back, Maxi. Bryony would want that.”
He clenched his mouth tight. Just the mention of his wife’s name tore at his insides. It seemed like only yesterday that she was there with him…
As if aware that she’d made a mistake by mentioning Bryony’s name, Scarlett quickly added, “I’ll get you the key to my apartment. You can stay there. I’m sure Tiffany will love having company.”
Maxi had forgotten that she had a cat. “Who’s watching her now?”
“My housekeeper, but she doesn’t spend the night.”
“I draw the line at sharing a bed with the cat.”
No Time for Intrigue (The No Brides Club Book 13) Page 1